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Parenting and Life Balance Stories from a Working Mother and Business OwnerMon, 02 Mar 2015 17:19:29 +0000en-UShourly1Living a Fruitfully Frugal and Financially Stress-Free Life {The Good Life for Less Book Review}http://www.modernmami.com/reviews/good-life-for-less-book-review/
http://www.modernmami.com/reviews/good-life-for-less-book-review/#commentsThu, 07 Mar 2013 15:23:25 +0000http://www.modernmami.com/?p=6511

Editor’s note: The following is a guest post by Philippa Channer, mom of three and occasional contributor for modernmami.

Let’s face it, no one wants to count pennies – but, financially, that is where we all are today. The average American family is living pay check to pay check with very little, if anything, available in savings for emergencies, let alone that dream vacation. Needless to say, my husband and I decided last year that we were no longer going to settle for being an average family. We want to be an extraordinary family and live a financially stress-free life.

However, in order to achieve our dream of living financially stress-free, my husband and I knew that we had to seek advice and guidance from the best on where to start. We also had to work hard at making the most of what we had. Well, with our not-so-lucky luck, this past Thanksgiving holiday my husband got the call that he was being laid off, effective immediately. We had to act fast and we no longer had time to do all the much desired research we wanted to start making financial changes.

As fate would have it, the very next day after we received the life changing news, The Good Life for Less by Amy Allen Clark arrived at my door. The words that Clark shares involve giving your family great meals, good times and a happy home on a budget. Just by reading the introduction, I realized that it would have much that I could learn from and relate to. We knew we had to starting finding areas to reduce and/or eliminate spending, but we were struggling to figure out just where to start. This book was a huge help and provided a foundation of resources, knowledge and suggestions.

As a family of five on one income, we can’t survive without making some financial changes and start living financially healthy. But it isn’t just about saving money and reducing bills. It’s also about a healthy life style change – a way to make ends meet and at the same time, be happy, content, and appreciative of what we have. Being frugal isn’t about being cheap; it’s making the most of the little you have and teaching your kids some discipline for future families.

Clark provides some great practical examples and advice to get any family started on the path to saving money, cutting corners, and living a fruitfully frugal lifestyle. I recommend that everyone who desires to make the most of their money, regardless of how little or how much you have, check out her book. It is packed with different tips and tricks any family could use.

Have you sat down (either alone or with your spouse, if married) and taken a serious look at your family budget and where your money is going each month? Have you realized areas of problem spending and made some changes to get better control of where your money is going? Share some of your own tips on gaining a financially stress-free life in the comments below!

Philippa is a working mother of three kids. She works at her local church in Maryland and is also the Executive Coordinator for Confident Gamers, a video game business founded together with her husband. In her spare time (approximately 5 minutes a day), Philippa likes to think of, plan and prepare for fun and different activities she can engage her family in for the upcoming weekend.